HYDERABAD: She runs marathons, has a green thumb and is a champion of women’s empowerment. She has no filters and is full of strength. Her story teaches us that it’s never too late to learn. Uma Chigurupati, co-founder of Granules India and chairperson of FLO Hyderabad, gets candid with CE at her sprawling Jubilee Hills residence. She speaks about her journey, passions and near-death experience
How did it all begin for you?
My journey started at a place called Chirala in coastal Andhra Pradesh. I was doing my post-graduation at Nagarjuna University in soil microbiology and plant pathology. My father-in-law, a syndicate member of the university, strongly believes in merit. He wants women to be independent and work. When he got to know about about my gold medals and scholarships, he approached my parents. That’s how I was introduced to my husband. The rest is history. (laughs)
Have you always been an achiever?
I don’t call myself an achiever, but when I take up something, I would like to give it my 100 per cent. I don’t want to be second in anything that I do. But there is a lot to do, I think I’m very small compared to so many others who have achieved so much. Yes, there are certain things that I am really proud of — like how in my late 40s, I’ve run marathons. This is not easy as certain runs are extremely challenging. There were times when I’ve gone to the edge of death and returned.
Can you tell us more about your near-death experience?
This happened during the North Pole marathon. When our flight was about to land on this massive ice block, the ice split and seawater gushed into the flight. Had this not been noticed in time, we all would have drowned in minutes. The engineers spotted this and alerted the pilot who aborted landing and we came back to a small island nearby called Svalbard. We didn’t even know what had happened. It was only in the evening that we read about it on the Internet. We thought we might not be able run the marathon that year, but somehow after three days we reached our destination. We did not get the time to acclimatise; we ran a full marathon (42 km) in -34oC. These are all great adventures, great life lessons. When I look back at these incidents, I feel proud. We both (Uma and her husband Krishna Prasad Chigurupati) are into business, we have three children and a lot of responsibilities. It’s easy to sit back and think: ‘What we have is enough, too much is at risk, we can’t do this and that.’ But we pushed ourselves and took up the challenge.
While you’ve achieved so much in life, was the road tougher for you because you are a woman?
To be frank, I did not face such situations. It would have been definitely difficult for me had I started out all by myself, from scratch. But here, I have a support system in the form of my husband. I might have faced a couple of situations, but I don’t behave like a timid woman. People get scared to even approach me or say anything to me. I think this aura around me must have also helped. Don’t think about gender and you will realise that you have solved 60 per cent of your problem. Never think that you are physically weaker than anyone. That’s why I encourage people to be physically fit, it gives you a lot of confidence and you can go forward in life.
Are you ambitious? Is it important to have an ambition?
Yes, I am ambitious. I think everyone should have an ambition to progress in life. But don’t look at ambition in a negative way. Being ambitious doesn’t mean that you deprive someone else of doing their thing, putting them down or taking away their advantages for your benefit. If you have a goal, go after it, like Ekalavya. For women, especially after marriage, there are a few biological and societal pressures. They have to undergo a lot of physical challenges as compared to men. They need family support to focus on their career. In one of our recent FLO meetings, someone was mentioning about women starting their career after the age of 40. The initial years might be tough, but don’t be disheartened, come back stronger.
How do you strike a work-life balance?
My personal life is very important. With an ever-traveling husband and three young children to look after, I took a nine to 10-year sabbatical. I felt that I won’t be doing justice to my family unless I gave my 100 per cent to them. There was also a time in 2010 when I had reached a point of breakdown — we were developing our vineyards near Hampi, my marathons were happening, my work at Granules was going on, I was organising runs as the chairperson of the 10K Run Foundation and had my family life. I sat back and took control of my life. My husband realised what I was going through and took up my responsibilities too. That’s when I compartmentalised my life. I learnt planning and time management in my 40s.
What’s the next big thing for you?
Don’t laugh, but I want to start something on my own. I want to do something from scratch. I want to do something on my ownand I want it to be my baby.
You vision for FLO?
FLO is a journey of empowerment. We are giving a lot of importance to startups and I want women to utilise our mentoring and incubation sessions. Women entrepreneurship is the thing everywhere today and it’s a great time for startups. I want to focus on skill development and job creation too.
On a lighter note
Your stress buster?
I watch old black-and-white Telugu movies and listen to old songs at the end of the day. I also used to sing and learn the Veena during my childhood. Gardening is another stress buster. If the weather is good, I go for long walks
Secret to your fitness?
There’s no secret. Eat in limit, be happy and exercise every day. Be active, spend one hour every morning working out.
Your favourite fashion designer/label?
I got this from Priyanka (daughter). She is a huge fan of Sabyasachi and now I just enjoy wearing his sarees. During my childhood, I used to love Yash Chopra movies and the women in chiffons. I loved those pastels and French chiffons. I’ve always admired Gayatri Devi’s style — her sarees and pearls.
How do you begin your day?
The moment I wake up, I need a nice cup of filter coffee. No compromise on sugar and milk. I always keep raw milk in the fridge for my coffee. Once I feel I’ve got all my positive vibes for the day, I go for my walk or exercise.
Favourite holiday location?
Any place close to nature, where I can go for long walks and sit by a stream. The whole family goes for a vacation once a year; we take a big villa and my husband and son cook. It is an ideal family holiday. If it’s just my husband and me or with my friends, I’d prefer going to a place with a lot of greenery.
— Himabindu Reddy himabindugopinath@newindianexpress.com @himureddy